"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: A Terribly Strange Bed."
This episode, first broadcast on October 3, 1943, is an adaptation of a short story with the same title by Wilkie Collins. From the summary, it seems like Collins` tale was merely a seed for this one, which is far more gruesome and titillating than the original.
Like The House and the Brain, we are led by a thrill-seeking protagonist and a more reserved partner; this time it is Jack Wescott, who has become morbid since joining his author friend Burke Manning on a trip to Paris. Burke is there to do research on historical murders; Jack is far more interested in recent killings.
When a flattened corpse is dragged out of the Seine, and they are told that this is part of a series of such grisly murders, and in addition, they witness an inconclusive back-and-forth with a strange man who has been to all previous discoveries (and who is unfortunately frequently characterized by his weight, both antagonists and colleagues referring to him as "The Fat Man"), Jack is eager to pursue.
Despite having prior knowledge about the dangers involved, that the original protagonist did not have, he steps into a a gambling den, and falls into the same trap, with similar results.
The creators decided to add more narration to move the plot forward in this one - some subjective, some all-knowing - but it did not feel out of place. Dialogue was used well, even if it does seem to add far too many additional characters.
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